Championships and circuits

Chess's leading individual classical title, now decided through a qualification cycle that culminates in a match for the crown.

An elite competition whose winner earns the right to challenge the World Chess Champion in the next title match.

A major individual FIDE competition that combines a title of its own with qualification places for the Candidates Tournament.

An International Chess Federation (FIDE) tournament using score-based pairings that forms part of World Championship qualification.

An official tournament series that awarded Candidates places in certain world championship cycles.

A historical world-cycle stage bringing together zonal qualifiers and sending leading finishers to the Candidates.

An individual world title restricted to women, with its own history since 1927 and a competition cycle separate from the open championship.

The International Chess Federation competition that selects the challenger to the reigning Women's World Champion.

An official women's knockout competition whose leading finishers can qualify for the Women's Candidates.

An official women's Swiss-system tournament that can award places in the Women's Candidates.

An official women's tournament series whose cumulative results feed the world championship cycle.

The International Chess Federation's leading national-team competition, normally held every two years with Open and Women's sections.

An International Chess Federation competition in which national teams contest encounters made up of several simultaneous games.

The premier national tournament that determines the overall chess champion of the United States.

The Soviet national championship series held from 1920 to 1991 and renowned for the exceptional strength of its fields.

The International Chess Federation world championship for players who satisfy the event's under-20 age requirement.

The International Chess Federation group of world championships for the under-14, under-16, and under-18 age categories.

The official International Chess Federation championship that awards the world title in rapid chess.

The official International Chess Federation championship that awards the world title in blitz chess.

An international championship held from 1974 to 2024 in which computer chess systems competed for the world title.

An elite annual tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, with a tradition dating back to 1938.

A historic Spanish elite tournament held in Linares, Andalusia, which grew from a modest 1978 event into a world-class fixture.

An elite international circuit combining several tournaments under one season points table.

A recurring elite classical invitational tournament held in Saint Louis, United States.